The Business of Camp – A series of e-workshops
Facilitated by Bette Bussel, retired Executive Director, ACA, New England & Eric Arnold, Executive Director, Hale Education
Facilitators will be joined by monthly guest speakers and topic experts
This series has reached its capacity of 30 attendees, so registration is now closed. We don't anticipate any cancellations, but if you'd like to be added to a wait list, please email kerry@acanewengland.org.
Don’t think about your title, think about your role at camp. Are you looking to learn more about the landscape of what it takes to run a camp? Do you already face business decisions and challenges in your current role? Or, are you an emerging or mid-career professional who sees yourself moving into such a role within the next couple of years?
If so, this series of five monthly e-sessions is for you! This series is open to all - independent camps, non-profit camps, agency camps, and everyone in between! While some nuances may be different, many of the tools and strategies are applicable and can be scaled for any camp.
While we can’t cover all the camp business-related topics in five sessions, we hope to build a learning community, provide you with resources to explore, and give you lots to think about as you gain skills to successfully navigate the business of your camp. In addition to hearing from field experts and experienced facilitators, participants will be encouraged to engage in dialogue with one another and share resources throughout the series.
Sessions will run 9:30 am - 11:30 am ET on the following Thursdays in 2022:
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January 6: Values, Vision, Mission, and More
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January 27: Asset Management, Part I (business models, budgeting, finance)
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February 17: Asset Management, Part II (facilities, insurance, risk management)
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March 17: Data, Dashboards, and Marketing
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April 7: HR and the Staffing Cycle
Additional session details and partial list of speakers can be found below.
Format: Two live hours per session (9:30 am - 11:30 am ET) including both topic-related presentations and facilitated discussion. Participants will earn 10 CECs for full participation in the series.Additional topic-related resources (e.g. articles, book suggestions, handouts) will be provided to participants between sessions. Series is limited to 30 participants to ensure the group can engage in dialogue and build community. Registration is for one person to participate in the entire five-session series.
Session 1: Values, Vision, Mission, and More (January 6)
Knowing yourself and your camp is a critical part of being a leader. In this session, we will explore the importance of using ethics, values, vision, and mission as the foundation of your work. We will discuss what it means to build a learning community together and group norms. This session will also touch on some lenses with which we’ll encourage you to evaluate/examine all aspects of your work, including:
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Diversity, equity, and inclusion
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Your product/programming
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Long-range/big picture/outside the box thinking
Guest speaker(s): Ann Sheets, retired President/CEO, Camp Fire First Texas, author of The Business of Camp; Jen “Dusty” Clitheroe, co-founder, Strengths Perspective
Session 2: Asset Management, Part I (January 27)
In this session, we will look at key budgeting and financial management resources, strategies, and tools as well as different business models.
Guest speaker(s): Scott Brody, owner & director, Camps Kenwood & Evergreen, Everwood Day Camp; John Carroll, finance director, Hale Education; additional speakers TBD
Session 3: Asset Management, Part II (February 17)
This month, we will dive deeper into facilities and land management, insurance (coverages, considerations), and other factors of risk management.
Guest speaker(s): Marie S.A. Sorensen, architect and masterplanner, Sorensen Partners | Architects + Planners, Inc; additional speaker TBD
Session 4: Data, Dashboards, and Marketing (March 17)
What data are you collecting? How do you use that data, along with storytelling to sell your program(s)? Where and how much are you spending on marketing?
Guest speaker(s): TBD
Session 5: HR and the Staffing Cycle (April 7)
Having the right team and managing them is key. And, many of our camps don’t have a designated HR professional. This session will focus on things to think about from advisors/counsel to policies to pay and benefits.
Guest speaker(s): TBD